aquaculture

the growing of plants or animals in freshwater or marine ecosystems

aquifers

underground water sources

archipelago

a group of islands clustered together in a large body of water

bicultural

of two languages or cultures

cavern

an underground area usually created when limestone is dissolved

conservation

the responsible use and management of natural resources

drainage basin

all the land drained by a river and the streams that flow into that river

fall line

an area where rivers drop from high elevations to coastal plains

federation

a system of government where power is shared between two levels

globalization

the integration of world economies or cultures

hurricane

a severe, whirling storm that forms over the ocean in tropical regions

mainland

the principal land mass of a continent or country (excludes islands and peninsulas)

maritime

on or near an ocean or sea

multicultural

of many cultures

municipality

a town, city, or village that is generally run by a mayor or council

overfishing

the removal of fish from an area at a rate faster than they can reproduce

panhandle

a long, thin strip of land that projects from a larger area

peninsula

a land mass surrounded by water on three sides

per capita

per person

permafrost

permanently frozen soil beneath the surface in polar and near-polar areas

privatize

to transfer ownership from the government to the private sector

province

the political division used in Canada and some other countries

rain shadow

an area that receives less precipitation because of its location on the leeward side of a mountain

representative democracy

a government system under which the people elect leaders to act as their agents in making laws

seismic

of or caused by movement of the earth as a result of the shifting of tectonic plates

sinkhole

a depression in the land generally caused when rain dissolves limestone soils

superpower

a nation with the economic and political strength to influence global events

tsunami

a large wave caused by an underwater earthquake or volcano